The local planning committee for the 2020 Minnesota Governor’s Fishing Opener is adding new ways for folks to celebrate the occasion in 2020. This year will be the 73rd annual event and while the main goal is to continue the storied tradition there will be a few differences from years past.
A hearing held in Seventh District Court Thursday for Jordan Jerome Dalman resulted in a jury trial date of April 20 being set for the former Vergas man.
Reporter
More than 100 students who enroll in 40 high-demand programs at Minnesota State Community and Technical College will be receiving $2,500 scholarships for the 2020-21 academic year, thanks to the Minnesota Legislature’s support for the Workforce Development Scholarship (WDS) program.
An area pilot has now given more than 100 young people a free demonstration airplane ride as part of the EAA “Young Eagles” program, which is introducing a new generation to the world of flight.
The executive committee of the Viking Library System Governing Board will meet on Dec. 17, 2019, at 5:15 p.m. at the Viking Library System office, Fergus Falls.
The Fergus Falls Public Library will show the movie based on the book "Where'd You Go, Bernadette" by Maria Semple on Tuesday, Dec. 17 from 5:30-7:30 p.m.
Gov. Tim Walz on Friday, Dec. 13, penned a letter to the Trump administration saying the state would continue accepting refugees under an executive order that requires counties and states to explicitly state they’d be willing to take them in.
The Salvation Army Red Kettle Campaign’s funding is trailing behind when compared to previous years’ donations, due to a shortened shopping season with the late Thanksgiving holiday. This shorter timeframe for giving could lead to a shortfall in funding needed to support thousands of familie…
Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison will be the keynote speaker at “Building our Beloved Community,” a day-long rural racial equity summit set for Monday, Jan. 20, at the Fergus Falls campus of Minnesota State Community and Technical College.
The weather had been threatening some perilous low temperatures this weekend, but they’ve slowly started to climb to bearable levels. There’s lots of indoor events this weekend to keep you warm, with a couple of outdoor options for the more adventurous among us. Santa will be extra busy on S…
A short-term vacation rental (also called a vacation rental or STR) is most often defined as a rental of a residential dwelling unit or accessory building for periods of less than 30 consecutive days. Vacation rentals have exploded in popularity. Otter Tail County has an estimated 300-plus v…
A student was injured in an accidental discharge of a firearm on the Wahpeton campus of North Dakota State College of Science.
The number of driving while intoxicated (DWI) arrests in Otter Tail County is up slightly from 2018 with four weeks of the year remaining.
Reporter
Local artist Patrick Murphy will perform a Christmas concert 3 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 22 at Our Lady of Victory Catholic Church in Fergus Falls.
The Fergus Falls Committee of the Whole approved a motion Wednesday morning which is expected to begin bringing new street lighting to the city in 2020.
Reporter
Missy Halda knew she was passionate about the outdoors when she started going to Camp Wilderness as a child. “I was part of the Holy Cross Catholic Church group out of Fargo and we went to Camp Wilderness as a church group and I just fell in love with it,” Halda says. Camp Wilderness, near P…
Reporter
When Fergus Falls’ Fleet Farm staff received a $500 donation from their corporate headquarters earlier this year they made a classy decision.
Reporter
UNDERWOOD — A slow start put the hosting Underwood boys’ basketball behind the eight-ball as Little Eight Conference foe Ashby Arrows took home a 59-41 victory Tuesday.
Editor
The Fergus Falls girls’ basketball team trounced the home team Detroit Lakes Lakers Tuesday, 72-25.
Sports Reporter/Photographer
COLD SPRING — The Fergus Falls boys’ basketball suffered its first loss of the season as Central Lakes Conference foe Rocori rallied late in the second half to force and overtime before winning 73-69 Tuesday.
Editor
BRAINERD — The Fergus Falls girls’ hockey team played strong defense but could not prevent the hosting Brainerd Warriors from finding the net as the Otters fell 5-0 Tuesday.
Sports Reporter/Photographer
Minneapolis-based musician Mick Sterling is coming to Fergus Falls with his theatrical and musical Christmas show, “At Christmas.” The show has been called “a holiday ‘Saturday Night Live’ for the whole family” and features work written and performed by alumni of the Brave New Workshop Comed…
Reporter
The Minnesota Board of Animal Health confirms an 8-year-old white-tailed doe tested positive for chronic wasting disease (CWD) after its white-tailed buck pen-mate killed it in a small, two-deer, hobbyist herd in Douglas County. The USDA National Veterinary Services Laboratory confirmed the …
This is one in a series of articles written by students who received scholarships in 2019 awarded through the Fergus Falls Area Dollars for Scholars chapter. The purpose of these articles is to thank the community for its support of students and their higher education goals.
House Democrats unveiled two articles of impeachment against President Trump on Tuesday morning, charging him with abuse of power in the Ukraine affair and obstruction of Congress.
A Perham man was one of three soldiers identified in a UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter crash that took the lives of the entire crew on Thursday, Dec. 5.
Public meetings on District 544’s technology plan, internet safety policy and the public school’s taxes payable for 2020 were held Monday in the Otter community room.
Reporter
Chris Swanson, BFA, APMA a financial advisor with Ameriprise Financial in Fergus Falls, recently received the accredited portfolio management advisor (APMA) designation from the College of Financial Planning. Individuals who hold the APMA designation have completed a course of study encompas…
As many are aware, Neve Redetzke will retire from her role as personal lines agent at AMP in Fergus Falls on Dec. 20, 2019.
Do you have a idea that could make your town better? What if you wanted to try something new, something that could make meaningful and lasting change in your community? Can your idea take root with financial help?
The Fergus Falls School District announced that it will be two hours late today (Monday, Dec. 9) due to weather.
The Fergus Falls girls’ basketball team held rival Alexandria at arms length the entire evening as the Otters picked up a 57-39 win.
Sports Reporter/Photographer
BARRETT — The West Central Area boys’ basketball team used strong defensive play and an opportunistic offense to cruise to a 87-47 victory over the Battle Lake Battlers Thursday.
Sports Reporter/Photographer
MOORHEAD — The Fergus Falls gymnastics team edged the hosting Moorhead Spuds 129.60-128.525 Thursday.
Sports Reporter/Photographer
With the advent of some honest-to-goodness below-zero temperatures next week it’s a good bet that a lot of Minnesotans will be making ice fishing plans.
Reporter
The third annual Over the River Holiday Festival is coming to Fergus Falls Saturday, Dec. 7 beginning at 10:30 a.m. with Santa’s arrival at the Fergus Falls Municipal Airport. The community is invited to welcome him to town and get a few pictures before he heads downtown to pick up his reindeer.
Reporter
With smiles on their faces, the Fergus Falls Area Family YMCA’s Y’s Folks group welcomed customers to peruse an abundance of baked goods as a part of a fundraiser Wednesday morning.
Editor
Family Diner in Fergus Falls is celebrating its ninth year in business this month, a unique diner in the community known for its from-scratch cooking and family focus. The diner was opened in December 2010 by Sharla Bilden, who had worked at restaurants throughout the area for years and deci…
Reporter
Grace Lutheran Church in Erhard, 726 Fergus Ave., Erhard, will be hosting the Heart O’Lakes Harmony a Cappella Chorus Wednesday, Dec. 11 at 7 p.m.
Christian Women’s Club will meet Thursday, Dec 12 at 9 a.m. at the YMCA for a Continental Brunch.
As the hours of daylight wane in December, the people of Sweden have maintained a tradition of proclaiming God’s light shining brightly even in the darkest of days. For more than 50 years Augustana Lutheran Church has brought that tradition here to Fergus Falls. This year’s celebration mov…
The University of Wisconsin-Madison has recognized students named to the dean's list for the spring semester of the 2018-19 academic year.
After a Monday morning session in Otter Tail County District Court Judge Barbara Hanson set a 3:15 p.m. review hearing on Jan. 16 for Anthony Dale Randklev.
Reporter
The choirs at M State are preparing for their annual winter choir concert taking place this Thursday, Dec. 5. This is new choral director Laura Odden Quaintance’s first winter choir concert and she’s excited to share with the community all that she, the students and community members have be…
Reporter
For most people, high school band music usually involves a brass section, percussion and wind instruments. But while these musical devices aren’t old hat, different instruments provide first-time musicians an opportunity to contribute. For the Fergus Falls High School Music Department, the p…
Editor
The Fergus Falls Daily Journal is accepting nominations for its new “Citizen of the Year” award, however, the deadline of Jan. 31 is fast approaching. The Journal wants to recognize someone in our community who has gone above and beyond by doing what’s more than expected of them and who dese…
Between Thanksgiving and Christmas, more than 1 million units of blood could be transfused in the United States. Individuals are urged to give a lifesaving gift this holiday season by making an appointment to donate blood or platelets and help the American Red Cross.
Harvey Robert Grasshoff, 93, of Fergus Falls, died Monday, December 2, 2019, at Knute Nelson Memorial Home in Alexandria.
It is important for all organizations to periodically reflect on their mission, beliefs, vision and practices. The Fergus Falls Public School District is taking time this year to do just that. Our goal is to gather feedback on what we do well and on what we need to improve on. The data coll…
The Otter Tail County (OTC) Board of Commissioners unanimously approved a resolution appointing Nicole Hansen as the next OTC administrator. The resolution also appointed Nick Leonard as deputy county administrator. The appointments become effective Jan. 1, 2020. John Dinsmore, current count…
This is one in a series of articles written by students who received scholarships in 2019 awarded through the Fergus Falls Area Dollars for Scholars chapter. The purpose of these articles is to thank the community for its support of students and their higher education goals.
Sydney Weniger is Wadena County’s recipient of the Minnesota Sheriff’s Association scholarship for 2019.
Resolutions to adopt the 2020 tax levy and city budget was approved Monday night by the Fergus Falls City Council by identical votes of 7-1.
Reporter
Ohio-based Southern gospel singer Ernie Haase is returning to Fergus Falls with his Grammy-nominated group, Ernie Haase and Signature Sound, this Friday, Dec. 6 with a performance at Life Church in Fergus Falls, the third concert of the Fergus Falls Concert Association 2019-20 season. The sh…
Reporter
Planning to be out and about for the Over the River Holiday Festival? Visit the Otter Tail County Historical Society Saturday, Dec. 7, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
MOUND — The Fergus Falls girls’ hockey team fell in a road game Friday as Mound Westonka used three scores to claim a 3-1 win.
Sports Reporter/Photographer
After enjoying Thanksgiving, those in the Christmas and holiday shopping mood get ready to put on their coats and head out to local retailers to see what the best offers will be for 2019’s Black Friday sales.
Editor
While an October snowfall dissipated fast and a few snowflakes have been spotted in the area, a snowstorm is expected to hit Otter Tail County and the surrounding area early today.
Editor
Shopping, gift wrapping, entertaining, decorating … the holidays are filled with fun activities and time with family and friends. Unfortunately they are also filled with lots of garbage. Literally. Paper plates and disposable utensils, paper napkins, plastic shopping bags, wrapping paper you…
It is time to sort the trash once again in Fergus Falls. On Thursday, Dec. 12 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. the Otter Tail County Solid Waste Department will conduct a trash sort at the recycling facility at 1115 North Tower Road in Fergus Falls.
Can rural towns and cities get off carbon pollution? That’s the topic for a free public meeting on practical strategies that can work in small towns like Alexandria and all over Douglas County. Mike Reese, renewable energy director at the U of Minnesota’s West Central Research Center in M…
